Winners and Losers

Each week in Face Time, NJBIZ editors approximate Chris Christie's mood and facial expressions based on the news.

FACE TIME: GUN SHY

The governor signed a series of bills concerning gun ownership last week, but took no action on a handful that have stirred the emotions of both sides. Admittedly, he’s in a tight spot here — going for broke on gun control would put him in the sights of the national Republican Party, which is not where he wants to be in 2016.

WINNERS

MWW

The PR firm was seemingly rewarded for its ties to Christie when it landed the Stronger Than the Storm ad campaign, charging more money, but willing to turn it from hokey imagery with an irritating soundtrack into the same thing, but with the overtones of a campaign commercial.

David Tepper

It was a really happy 20th birthday for Appaloosa Management, and Tepper, who founded the hedge fund in 1993, has delivered returns averaging 28 percent each year, according to Bloomberg News. Hey Christie: Here’s the guy you want investing our public pension dollars.

Trenton Thunder

The Yankees look handcuffed, Bud Selig looks ineffective, Alex Rodriguez looks like a cheater, fans look like suckers — but somebody’s making out well with all this. That’d be the Thunder, which hosted A-Rod on a rehab stint, offering a booster shot (sorry) to the team’s attendance numbers.

LOSERS

Zygi Wilf

The highly influential developer and owner of the Minnesota Vikings will be on the losing end of a civil case that’s dragged on for two decades. The damages aren’t yet known, but the loss is a blow to a family that’s not used to having its name dragged through the presses.

Atlantic City International Airport

A big drop in travelers marks the start of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s gamble on the South Jersey airport. Larger questions of how the agency will integrate the airport — and who would want to fly there — still need to be addressed.

Newark

Condé Nast Traveler’s editors aren’t too keen on the Brick City, as they made clear in ranking Newark the most unfriendly city in the world, finishing just behind Islamabad, Pakistan. Maybe the Traveler’s editors need to do a bit more traveling before printing such tripe.